After much fanfare and anticipation, Vanity Fair’s editor Radhika Jones made her debut with a spotlight on one of Hollywood’s rising stars, Lena Waithe.
Waithe’s profile, written by award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson and photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz, is breathtaking and inspiring.
“I don’t need an Emmy to tell me to go to work,” she told Woodson.
This not only feels like a step in the right direction. It is one.
Jones is widening the definition of Hollywood royalty in a way that’s inclusive and less about looking like the traditional covergirl. Her tenure comes at a time when a lot of magazines are revisiting their covers and coverage and likely, making changes as well.
grateful to @radhikajones, #annieleibovitz, and @JackieWoodson for seeing me so clearly. I love you all. #VanityFair #WhoSaysABlackLesbianCantBeOnTheCoverOfVanityFair #LetsBlackPantherThisIssue #MyPlayCousinsAreAllGonnaBuyAtLeastTenCopies #RadhikasReignBegins https://t.co/YHpwGK1hqJ
— Lena Waithe (@LenaWaithe) March 22, 2018
The Fashion Spot has been following an upward trend of diversity within the glossy pages, the likes of which have never been seen before. And no magazine has gotten more attention than Teen Vogue when it pivoted from a girl’s fashion magazine to one that has a clear, political voice alongside its fashion spreads.
The media business may be in flux, but it’s exciting to watch magazines finally begin to look more like their readers than someone’s idealized impression of what’s in-style.